BA (Hons)Theatre Practice
Puppetry
The Central School of Speech and Drama, University of London pioneered the first UK degree in puppet theatre and continues to be one of the world's leading institutions for the training of puppeteers, attracting national and international students.
Central collaborates with a huge number of professional companies and practitioners, who visit as lecturers or host students on professional placements. The course also has strong links with puppetry and visual theatre courses throughout the world, and regularly visits international festivals to present work.
The Puppetry course embodies the twin concepts of design and performance. You will develop drawing, design and sculpture, animation, movement, vocal and manipulation skills. You will make puppets in a range of styles. You will also explore the world of object manipulation and develop projects for performance both within and outside the School.
One of the main aims of the course is to develop skilled performers who have a strong sense of their individual direction and identity, and you will have the opportunity to practice as an individual as well as part of a company. You are encouraged to engage with contemporary practice from the outset, so that you have a clear personal rationale for how you develop as a practitioner.
Your practical research and development will be underpinned by contextual studies in puppetry and visual theatre performance, including historical and theoretical discussions, and intercultural study of traditional forms and practices.
You will work closely with other students within Theatre Practice course so that you understand, respect and work effectively with the full range of professional practitioners in order to appreciate the theatre process and interdisciplinary practice.
During Year One you will be introduced to a range of collaborative and subject-specific projects in which you explore the design process, principles of movement, animation and manipulation and work collaboratively with other students towards presentation and performance outcomes.
In Year Two you will have the chance to develop work for performance in greater depth, and to research specific styles and techniques, working on productions and projects in a range of settings, including work in the community and public settings.
During Year Three you will negotiate personal development plans and carry out individual work to deepen your learning in specific areas of interest to you. Your personal development plan may be a professional placement with puppet theatre companies, working as an assistant director, in-school training in specific complementary areas, preparing solo work for performance, or apprenticeship with makers, etc.
Throughout the three years, you will have the opportunity to experience puppetry in a variety of contexts, go on frequent visits to shows, talks and workshops by visiting professionals, and benefit from ongoing collaboration with a number of arts bodies within London and elsewhere.
Qualification gained on completion: BA (Hons) Theatre Practice
For further course information you can order a prospectus on +44 (0)20 7722 8183, email enquiries@cssd.ac.uk or download.